Because It’s A Day Ending in Y, I Must Be Changing My Mind

So, a few weeks ago, when I was talking about how there were some things that I was thinking about editing, but decided not to because I liked those scenes?

Yeah, they’re all gone.

It was all stuff that I loved, it’s true. But I loved it for me, not for the story, and it didn’t offer anything relevant to the plot. THIS is the hard choice that I wasn’t ready to make before. THIS is why I got five form rejections in five days. It hurts my heart a little bit to see all that stuff go. But you know what? It’s all right. I don’t regret having written it in the first place, and I’m glad I have my previous drafts saved so I can hang on to those deleted scenes. Even my first draft, which I look back on now and just kind of shake my head. I’ve come a long way in the past six months and I absolutely love this learning process, even if it has left a bitter taste in my mouth from time to time.

I do feel bad that I started querying too soon, and closed some doors on myself before I was truly ready. But there are still lots of places I’d like to send it, once I’m finished this revision and get a bit of feedback on it. Next month should see me querying anew, with a stronger manuscript, one that maybe actually has a chance.

13 Responses to “Because It’s A Day Ending in Y, I Must Be Changing My Mind”

Ah, that sucks man. Really, I feel bad for you. I wrote a book a couple years back, like, 120,000 words long. It took me two years and I finished it, queried, got rejections, and realized a month later that there was still so much more I wanted to change. Stuff that seems good at one point is suddenly terrible as you get better at writing.

Writing is difficult and has a BIG learning curve. If you feel that you made the right decision, that’s what is important. And, I’m glad you’re hanging on to previous drafts because there may come a time and place in another story or novel where they might be perfect. And, regarding averythorne’s quote above, I can say the true version: “I’m too old for this shit.” That’s why I self-published “Thaumaturge”; I don’t know how much time I might have left, LOL!

I know it’s a cliche, but cliches become cliches because they have truth to them. It’s that old one about listening to your gut. Just trust your instincts.
Did you know that physiology research has determined that your guts do have a form of intelligence. Hey, a whole sci/fi novel could be written based on that, LOL. Just go with your gut feeling!

Follow your gut instincts, and what your rational, left brain tells you to do! The RIGHT brain is all about conjecture, fantasy, speculation, imagination, which are all wonderful things, but, wiil they get you published?

I think it’s wonderful and brave. The advice is always to murder your darlings and it’s the hardest thing to do. Good on you for taking the step. Hope you saved all those cut bits in an idea file though. You may one day write the story that calls to them :)

You’re wise and brave. One of the worst things a writer can do is to fall in love with her own writing to the point that she can’t see when it could be better. I got to talk with an award-winning YA novelist a couple of weeks ago, and she kept stressing that if you keep writing and keep working on it and refuse to give up, eventually you will get published. Here’s hoping!

Sorry to hear about the rejections but I, too, think it’s brave and pretty great you’re going back to the material and keep writing. Rejection is never great but I think it’s always good to remember that so much of querying is up to the personal taste of the agent/publisher and not about how good your material is- makes it sting a little less

Thanks, Susan :) I’m quite surprised by how little the rejections bothered me. I won’t say I didn’t do a little bit of moping but I certainly wasn’t crushed by it and now I know it was probably completely justified. The next round may show better results!